Cake
by Experi
Summary: Inadvertently, one of Elf's many gifts to Alf manages to make it across. What's a title.


set a while before chapter 4 who knows who cares  
actually I lied, i know, this is a couple days after Dez, Noin, and Elf run off with Second, but that's not really important.

i wrote this at midnight and my self-betaing is terrible enjoy this wordsplatter. as i get into the hang of writing senyuufic

* * *

Elf did a couple of odd jobs today, and the extra cash means that he and Zehn get extra treats. He stops at the bakery and gets cupcakes: chocolate for him, lemon for Zehn (come to think of it, he's not really sure how Zehn eats, he's never really _seen_ the little demon do it he just knows that it does). Some impulse makes him grab a strawberry one, too. Somebody likes it, right? He'll remember who later and give it to them. Surprise gifts are fun! It's tradition. (Tradition for who? With who? No reason to think about it too hard, Elf sees no point in undue concern).

The baker hands over the requested confections in cute individual packages.

Elf carries them happily off to his pocket dimension. Zehn is suitably enthused with the cute box of cupcake placed into its hands. Its helmet seems to light up a little, which Elf has learned is about the closest it can get to grinning without having a face. Elf grins back.

"Thanks! I guess your work went well, then?" it asks.

"Yup!" Elf gives a thumbs up with his free hand. "Totally deserves a celebration right? 'S what ya do when ya work hard, 's buy cake afterward." He laughs. It's probably _not_, but any excuse for cake is a valid one.

Zehn nods at the extra package. "Is that something else or is it your usual buying three of things?"

"The usual." Elf stares at the box of strawberry cupcake. Zehn is right, it _was_ fairly common for him to either get extras of things or get halfway through divvying something up into thirds before realizing there were only two people in the dimension. Hmm. "Well, if I don't remember who it's for in time, we can split it or somethin', yeah?"

Zehn nods, and Elf wanders off. He's got to put these cupcakes somewhere. Zehn watches him go with mild concern. It has caught the name 'Alf' a couple times, but Elf never speaks of his past, and if Zehn tries to ask he either waves it off or seems confused. It's mysterious, and somewhat worrying for Zehn. It sincerely hopes Elf is going to be okay and these weird lapses in memory and inexplicable behaviour aren't signs of anything bad. It sighs and wanders off. Oh well, might as well enjoy the pastry so long as it has it. Elf's very competent, this shouldn't be something _that_ bad. Or so Zehn'll stick to that hope.

* * *

Elf places the third cupcake on one of the randomly generated tables that, like most furniture here, either appear and disappear randomly or stick wherever Elf or Zehn needs them. Elf figured if he leaves it there he'll come back to it, but in the meantime it's 'set aside for Alf'.  
But who was Alf, why was Elf setting things aside for him, and why was he so certain this Alf guy like strawberries?

Maybe he'll remember later.

* * *

Elf does not remember later. Elf, in fact, completely forgets about the cupcake. Zehn doesn't ask, and the table disappears after a couple hours.

The table vanishes to one of the few sections of the pocket dimension that Alf can access. As horrible and inconvenient being stuck in the time vortex is, sometimes it offers him some small blessings. Sometimes he is given a reprieve. He can't escape fully; some part of him is always kept behind in the ocean of time, but enough of him gets free that he can breathe. He can stand in an expanse of white and feel something beneath his feet, for once. More importantly, Alf can feel Elf's magic. He knows who made this place, even if he's only ever been able to catch glimpses of the boy.

Alf's proud of him. Making one's own dimension is no small feat, after all. His people did make a good choice with Elf as the Great Mage. Alf stares around the expanse of nothingness, feeling the hints of Elf's magic around him and smiling fondly. Something draws his attention. A table's here behind him, and a potted plant. Odd, usually there's nothing here. Must be the usual weird distortions causing things to float around. Alf steps over to inspect regardless. It's something to look at.

On top of the table is a small cardboard box. It has some printed drawings of fruits and decorative swirls on it, and curiosity gets the better of him. He's not supposed to cause disturbances (moreso here— he doesn't want the memory spells on Elf breaking and causing problems) but it's a box. All on its lonesome. How bad could it be to poke at it.

Alf opens the box, stares for a second, then has to try very, _very_ hard not to cry.

Every time when they were younger and one of them got their hands on a bit of extra change, they'd get something and share. Food, or comics, or something.

And it seems Elf kept it up.

And that Elf still remembered Alf's favourite flavour of cake, despite the layers of seals on his memory. Something somewhere was so deeply ingrained in Elf's identity that he _kept_ it despite the magic, kept these little pieces of Alf.

While Alf knows that he should be kicking himself for allowing Elf to remember anything about him, instead he finds himself plopped down on the floor, sobbing and trying not to clutch the box of cake hard enough to damage it. It's for _him_. He can't harm something that reminds him he exists.

Alf is still like that when the timestream pulls him back into its depths. The tears have stopped but he holds the box protectively, refusing to let go.

The universe seems to take pity on him this one time, and when he lands in the eddies where time isn't shoving him around, the box and cake are still in his hands.

It's been a while since he last had anything to eat. He doesn't need it, but it's nice, especially when it's something sweet.

Alf eats slowly and let's himself hope, just a little. Maybe when his work is done, Elf will remember him. Maybe Elf will be able to find him, help him out of this void.

Maybe he'll finally get to see Elf again in a situation where he can _interact_ with the boy. Where Elf can hug him for far longer that social custom and tell that idiot mage how much he means to Alf.

He threw himself into the wash of time because he wanted to try being selfish for once, he wanted to protect the people he cares about. Cecily the first time and Elf the second.

He just didn't know it would be so horribly _lonely_.

Alf holds onto the now-empty pastry box, closing his eyes and planning. He'll have to speak to Elf eventually (he refuses to consider the alternative), he should start figuring out where to start.

_'Thank you_', probably, would suffice.

Maybe something awkward and rambling about love afterwards.


End file.
